ML20008E487
| ML20008E487 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Framatome ANP Richland |
| Issue date: | 02/11/1981 |
| From: | Cunningham R NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS) |
| To: | SIEMENS POWER CORP. (FORMERLY SIEMENS NUCLEAR POWER |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20008E485 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8103090094 | |
| Download: ML20008E487 (6) | |
Text
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. O UNITED STATES OF AMERICA NUCLEAR REGULATORY CCMMISSION In the Matter of
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Docket No. 70-1257
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Special Nuclear Material License No. SNM-1227 Exxon Nuclear Company
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2101 Horn Rapids Road
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Richland, Wasnington 99352
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s ORDER TO MODIFY LICENSE 1
Exxon Nuclear Company of Richland, Washington ("the licensee") is the holder of Special Nuclear Material License No. SNM-1227 issued by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Ccemission").
The license authorizes the possession and use of up to 10,000 kg of U-235 (1 5% enrichment) and 100 kg of plutonium of which at least 90 kg is in encapsulated form.
The licensee fabricates low-enriched uranium fuel for LWRs.
There is no plutonium work at the present time. The license is currently active pursuant to the timely renewal provisions of 10 CFR 70.33(b), pending completion of the environmental and safety rev of the renewal application.
II Before is:uance of a license to operate, staff review of the application determined that the licensee can operate the facility in a safe manner.
Nonetheless,, based on the lessons learned from the accident at Three Mile Island and new perspectives on emergency preparedness and planning, the Commission has reevaluated the emergency preparedness requirements for its fuel cycle and materials licensees.
The Commission has decided that significant improvements need to be made rromptly to ensure that adequate onsita emergency response
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. actions will be taken by licensees with major aperations in cases where, even though unlikely, potentially serious radiation acci ents could occur.
The d
operations licensed to be carried out pursuant to Special Nuclear Material License No. SNM-1227 appear to fall in this category and require the development of a more comprehensive onsite radiological contingency plan than previously 1
submitted to the Commission for review.
Specifically, considerations are needed to ensure (1) that the plant contains adequate engineered safety features and is otherwise designed to limit releases of radioactive materials and radiation exposures in the event of an accident, (2) that a capability exists for measuring and assessing the significance of accidental releases of radioactive materials, (3) that appropriate emergency equipment and planning are provided onsite to protect workers against radiation hazards that might be encountered following an accident, (4) that notifications are made promptly to federal, state, and local government agencies, and (5) that necessary recovery actions are taken in a timely fashion to return the plant to a safe condition following an accident.
The information to be developed and documented is described in the enclosed
" Standard Format and Content for Radiological Contingency Plans for Fuel Cycle and Materials Facilities" (Enclosure 1).
In summary, the in'ormation to be submitted to NRC for review includes a (1) description' of pla nt systems important to safety;-(2) characterization of classes of credible.emergtncies that might occur; (3) description of radiological contingency measures f or each class of emergency; (4) designation of authorities and responsibilities of key individuals and groups employed by the licensee; and (5) a description of equipment and facilities designated for use during radiation emergencies. The plan is to be
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3 directed toward mitigating the consequences of radiological emergencies and p.Tviding reasonable assurance that appropriate measures will be taken during an emergency to assure protection of the public and rainimize adverse environ-mental impacts.
In preparing the plan, consideration sho'uld be given to a set of credible accidents ranging from a;most everyday occurrecces of small conse-quence through highly improbable, but not impossible, accidents such as those resulting from severe natural phenomena, human error, and multiple equipment failures, and sabotage.
III In addition to onsite radiological contingency planning, as discussed in Section II above, offsite emergency response planning is also highly importan"..
Offsite planning requirements for fuel cycle and materials facilities are being deve1 ped separately and will be considered in a proposed rulemaking to 2
be published in the coming months. Within the framew'ork of that rulemaking, NRC will carry out extensive coordination with state governments and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) concerning applicable requirements.
IV The Commission believes that it is prudent and necessary to require the licensee to develop and submit within 180 days of the effective date of this
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Order, or before, an-onsite radiological contingency plan, as discussed in Section II above, applicable to operations licensed pursuant to Special Nuclear Material License No. SNM-1227.
Such a plan can be developed and effectively implemented apart from offsite emergency response planning, which necessarily involves state and local government emergency planning actions.
The onsite
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4 radiological contingency plan is a necessary extension of protective actions taken by the licensee during normal cperations.
Such planning is essential to ensure that proper plans are made by the licensee to protect the public fr:m accidents that could result frca the licensed operations.
A lesson learnec frcm the Three Mile Island accident is that accidents thought to be highly improbable can and will occur, and that proper emergency preparedness is required to mitigate radiological consequences.
The reporting and record keeping part of this onsite radiological centin-gency plan is subject to clearance by the General Accounting Office.
GA0 review and clearance will not stay the effective date of this Order as regards the requirement that the licensee develop the plan.
Unless advised to the centrary, GA0 clearance will be effective within 45 days from the date of this Order.
V Accordingly, pursuant to sections 161b and 161o of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, gg70.32(a)(8), 70.32(b)(2), and 70.32(b)(5) of 10 CFR Part 70, and $2.204 of 10 CFR Part 2, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED THAT within 180 days of the effective date of this Order, the licensee shall submit:
1.
A radiological contingency plan in accordance with Enclosure 1 of this Order, " Standard Format and Content for Radiological Contingency Plans for. Fuel Cycle and Materials Facilities," and an application for license amendment to incorporate such plan as approved as a condition of the license; or alternatively, e
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An application for license amendment to reduce the possession limits for radioactive materials below those specified in Enclosure 2 of this Order.
VI The licensee or any person whose interest may be affected by this Order may, within 20 days of the date of the Order, request a hearing with respect to all or cart of the Order.
A request for a hearing shall be addressed to the Secretary of the Commission, U.S.N.R.C., Washington, D.C.
20555.
A copy of the hearing request shall also be sent to the Executive Legal Director, U.S.N.R.C., Washington, D.C.
20555. If a person other than the licensee requests a hearing, that person shall set forth with particularity the nature of his or her interest and the manner in which his or her interest may be affected by this Order in accordance with 10 CFR 92.714(a)(2) of the Commission's Rules of Practice.
If a hearing is requested by the licensee or a person who has an interest affected by this Order, the Commission will issue an order designating the time and place of the hearing.
If no hearing is requested, this Order will become effective 20 days from the date of the Order.
If a hearing is requested, this Order will become effective on the date specified in an order made following the hearing.
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6-VII If a hearing is held, the issue to be considered at the hearing shall be whether the licensee (1) shall submit a radiological contingency plan which cceplies with Enclosurr, 1 of this Order, " Standard Format and Centent for Raciological Contingency Plans for Fuel Cycle and Materials Facilities," or T-(2) if a plan is not submitted as required in Section V (1) of the Order, should an application for a license amendment to reduce its possession limits for radioactive materials below those specified in Enclosure 2 of this Order be submitted.
FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY CCMMISSION O
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Richard E. Cunningham, Director Division of Fuel Cycle and Material Safety Dated at Silver Spring, Maryland this 11 th day of February,1981 w
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